What Do You Say?

To say that it was a different kind of Thanksgiving for us this year is an enormous understatement. The most glaring difference was celebrating a holiday not recognized by the country we live in. Life in Singapore was business as usual unless you happen to bleed red, white, and blue. Kids were still in school, most of our husbands still had to work, nothing was closed, and the grocery stores were no more busy than a normal day. There was no Black Friday hype and we had to wait until Friday morning to watch the Cowboys and Aggies play. If you can call what the Cowboys did as "playing", but that's an entirely different post.

We had plans on Thursday to get together with several other families in our building along with some new friends from Houston.

We had reserved the area by our pool for our dinner....a dinner we ordered from the American Club so there was no major cooking required. 5:00 rolled around and the heavens opened up requiring us to move to Plan B. Our neighbors, Don and Anne, were gracious enough to open up their apartment for our feast.

No big deal? Considering there were 12 boys 11 years old and under, it was extremely gracious of them.

We piled into their apartment, decided to eat in shifts, piled the food everywhere there was space and proceeded to celebrate Thanksgiving.

We kinda made it around the kid's table with a "what are you thankful for" kind of discussion that never went deeper than being grateful for brownies and Nerf dart guns.

The parents managed a prayer of Thanksgiving and an uninterrupted meal which is miraculous in and of itself!

Friday we had plans to have dinner with my friends, Tiffany and Lisa, and our families. Tiffany and Lisa made most of the food......I threw on an apron and brought a couple of appetizers and the fixings for mashed potatoes and tried to blend in with the Martha Stewart girls.

We may or may not have had one small towel casualty.....but we did learn a valuable lesson in how to quickly put out a small fire!

We could have fed a small country with as much food as we had. This picture is a snapshot of the appetizers only. There was A LOT of food.

It was an all afternoon/evening affair with kids running between the pool and Wii with stops in the kitchen to check on our progress.

Tiffany's husband smoked the turkeys on his grill and it was hands down the best turkey I've ever had. It was decadant and wonderful meal.....we all rolled out of there completely sick which means it was a successful Thanksgiving.

Yesterday we sat in church as the pastor, whom we've come to adore, spoke on the story in Luke where Jesus healed the 10 lepers. He healed them from a disease that had kept them out of society and away from their family and friends for years. He gave them back their lives and only one returned to thank Him. One. We were reminded of all the blessings we are given and how often we forget to thank the giver of those gifts. Our pastor encouraged us to not only remember to be thankful to God for all He has given us.....and we are ALL so very blessed, but to remember to thank the people in your life that have impacted you.

I sat in the pew and cried. Big 'ol tears just rolled down my face. I am so thankful to God for so much. For my salvation. For His neverending mercy and grace. For being a very big God that cares about the smallest of details. It reminded me of all the years I have looked at my boys when they've received even the smallest of treats and said, "What do you say?". I felt exactly like that. Like my eyes had been opened to all that I had to be thankful for here in Singapore and God was saying, "What do you say?".

I'm very thankful for the people in our lives here. The new friends that have taken us under their wing, have helped us with the boys, have hung around during my often unpleasant mood swings. The friends that have skipped all the silly stuff and gotten right to the nitty gritty with me, knowing that in many cases we only have a year or two to be in each other's lives before we go back to our previous lives. The friends that have opened up my eyes to life all over this planet. Friends that have taken a chance on me.

In my moments of missing all those that are precious to me back home, I don't for a minute want to overlook the blessing of those put into my life right here.

As for you back home, and you know who you are, thank you. I am spoiled in the amount of love and support all of you have given me. I am thankful that you have been willing to go on this journey with me. I am a very, very blessed girl and don't want any of you to ever think I've taken you for granted.

Be thankful. Be thankful and tell Him. Family and friends are a gift. They give us our lives back when we think we've lost them and they make life worth living wherever you are. I am so incredibly thankful for each and every one of you.

We are now looking ahead to Christmas which is a holiday Singapore does big. I love all the lights and trees everywhere. I found my box of Christmas decor that I happened to throw into our shipment and was so excited to see that I had packed our stockings and some of our favorite decorations. It doesn't look exactly the same, but it still feels really good. My favorite is my view out my kitchen window. It makes me smile and that's a good thing.

Keep The Change

I find myself saying the phrase "keep the change" quite a bit these days. My only mode of transportation is walking, subway, bus or taxi and I opt for the taxi probably more than I should. I ADORE chatting with the taxi drivers here. So many of them have been so kind and curious about where in the states I came from....offering me all kinds of advice on life in Singapore. I have laughed with some of them and taken notes with others. It is amazing how so many of them have never lived anywhere outside of this little island and yet know so much about the rest of the world. They are kind to my boys and take their jobs very seriously. Every once in awhile I get a driver that is cranky and irritated at my mere existence, but overall they are kind and polite.

Tipping taxi drivers is more the exception than the rule here. I get great amounts of joy at tipping them because they always are so grateful. My statement of "keep the change", even if it is only rounding out the dollar, is always met with gratitude.

Recently, I have not been as gracious with the change that has been handed to me. Before you quit reading out of exasperation for a post where I bemoan my current situation, let me just tell you that this will be the last you hear of it.

When I set out to write about and document our experience I promised myself that I would be authentic in recording the details in our move. That means stuff that's not always fun and exciting. Life is never always fun and exciting. Good, bad, or indifferent I am not going to pretend otherwise.

That being said, I will honestly say that this last month has been the hardest since we've moved. The homesickness has been almost crippling at times and the fight against it often left me exhausted. People deal with emotions differently and I wish I could say that I dug into the Bible or went for a run, but my way of dealing with life that is overwhelming is to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head. I'm not proud of that and I don't think it's healthy, but it's what I do.

This past Friday I found myself with a completely empty day and a completely empty apartment. Of all my options for how to spend my day I chose the one that required the least amount of effort and I went back to bed after sending the boys on their way. It was many, many hours later when I woke up and was completely ashamed of the time I had wasted. Completely and totally wasted time.

I forced myself to have a quiet time knowing that enough was enough and I needed some godly inspiration. I've been studying Ruth and on Friday it was the day that Ruth had a turning point. The day that she was done mourning her dead husband and ready to move on. A coincidence? I don't believe in coincidences.

I spent a lot of time talking to God that day. I told Him that in case He hadn't noticed, I'm not the most graceful with major life change. I told Him that I was sorry for the time wasted. I told Him that I was really ready to be done with the sadness and to be present right here where I am. I also thanked Him for putting some amazing women into my life here in Singapore that deserve a me that is not emotionally high maintenance.

I was reminded of the fact that on at least two occasions in Houston I had spoken to a group of women and addressed how important it is to leave your past where it belongs and not to walk through life looking behind you because that's how you miss what's in front of you. I so love the irony of the opportunity to put into play what was so easy to say.

Friday was the day that I put on my big girl pants. I realize that there will be times when I will still be sad, but the way in which I choose to deal with those emotions is 100% my choice. I am choosing to get on with life.

Change happens to everyone. Sometimes it's good....a new life, a new relationships, a new opportunity. Sometimes it's hard....a lost life, a lost relationship, a lost opportunity. It is what makes life interesting and keeps us humble - a solid reminder that we are not the ones in control.

My goal is to "keep the change" that is given to me and to be grateful for the opportunities it provides. To be real with my emotions and know they're a part of life but that I have a choice every single day in how I deal with it.

Not for a moment do I think it will be all peaches and cream from here on out. But for now, I'm done talking about it and I'm done writing about it.

I'm going to work on channeling my emtions into a love for running. Then maybe my big girl pants will need to get a little smaller. Now that's a change I could really embrace!

Double Digits Baby!!

Nathan,

I can't believe you are 10 years old today when it seems like yesterday you were that cute little blonde 4 year old. At 11:07 a.m. Texas time, 11/08, you will turn 10. Last night you told me that I should have just waited until 11:08 to have you because that would have been really cool. Someday I will tell you exactly why matching your time of birth with your birth date wasn't much of a priority in the throes of giving birth to you with no epidural. But there's no reason to ruin your day and steal your innocence so we'll wait for that fun conversation until you're 23.

10 is a big, big deal. Noone in our home is a single digit anymore! This is the big time and I am as fascinated with you today as I was the day you were born. I told you the other night that I wonder why exactly God chose us to be your parents and in place of a witty retort, which is common for you, you just smiled at me and rolled your eyes a little. I find it beautiful that hearing how loved you are doesn't even give you pause because you know it well. That part of my job, I can say without a doubt, I am doing well. Too well, if I go by all the protests when I kiss all over your sweet, freckled face.

It has been quite a year for you. For all of us. Your dad and I made some big decisions for our family and as our kid, you got to come along for the ride. You and your brother have been amazing with all the changes in your little life.

You left behind some really good friends.

But have made some new ones. They don't replace your Houston friends, but they make your life here in Singapore a whole lot more fun!

You have traveled to six different countries this year. Seeing as how your passport was brand new at the beginning of the year, that's pretty amazing. I love how intrigued and interested you have been about all the new places you've experienced. You have met some interesting people and have asked some challenging questions but I welcome them all. Even if I don't have the answers, I am glad to see your world becoming bigger. My prayer is that you embrace people from all over this planet as being unique human beings worthy of love and respect.

You continue to be fearless when it comes to adventure and you have certainly had the opportunity to prove that this year. I don't know whether to be afraid or amazed at your fearlessness when you run off a platform into thin air being held only by a cable or hang out in a ring with a deadly snake. I kinda just think you're crazy.

For some reason you have developed an interesting way to stand still. You don't cross your arms, put them in your pockets, or even on your hips. You stand with your wrists bent creating a nice set of chicken wings. I don't understand how this is comfortable, but it's you.

We still struggle with your tendency towards being dramatic. We thought channeling some of that into a creative source would help. You tried out for and got a part in Annie and loved every minute of it. As wonderful as that was, if something doesn't go your way or doesn't come easily to you, we can easily have an Oscar winning performance on our hands. We have talked self-control until we are blue in the face and you are getting better. I think climbing Masada in Israel in 100+ degree weather was hands down one of the most challenging things you and I have ever been through. I used every single trick in the book to coach you up that mountain with quite a bit of drama and tears from you the entire way, but you did it.

There will be many mountains in your life and I will coach you up every single one of them. We may reach the summit dirty and sweaty with tear stained faces, but we'll get up them together!

Our other struggle with you has been reminding you that even though you can participate easily in most adult conversations, you are still the child. There is a line that is not to be crossed and we remind you often to stay on your side of the line. I love your wit, but maintaining a healthy level of respect and humility is something we are working on constantly!

You have slowly but surely broadened your culinary horizons. Still not the most adventurous of eaters, but you love chicken tikka, buttered naan, egg prata, and you can put away a significant amount of pork and shrimp dumplings! You love the fruit smoothies, or Tropicanas, at school so much you have started a Tropicana club that meets at lunch. Before you know it, you'll be eating duck tongue and fried beetles just like your dad!

You and I share a love of reading and we definitely like the same kind of music. I loved taking you to your first concerts this year.....Newsboys and TobyMac/Skillet. You now religiously follow your favorite artists and know when they're touring and when they'll be in Houston. You've going to have to stop torturing yourself like that!!

Nathan, I am so excited to have a front row seat to your life. I pray for you consistently that God will protect you and that you will have a heart for Him. I also pray for the sweet girl you will marry someday, but you could care less about that right now.

I love and adore you. Even more than that, I just flat out think you are a cool kid.

I love you more!

Mom

From This Day Forward

I was nervous. Months of planning with every detail a perfect reflection of us and it all came down to that moment. I couldn't look at my dad without wanting to cry so I stared straight ahead into my future. Into the face of the one person I would promise my life to.

I remember how long the aisle was and thinking that I would never make it to the front. How good it felt to have people we loved surrounding us.

I remember trying so hard to be present...to win the fight over letting my mind wander to meanlingless details that may or may not have been completed.

I remember loving my bridesmaid's dresses more than my own.

I remember my dad taking advantage of the moment he gave his first daughter to another man by telling Scot that he and my mom had prayed for him since I was a little girl. How happy they were to welcome him into our family.

I remember staring at Scot and promising him the world.

Fifteen years ago today.

I had no idea what our future would hold and how so many of those promises would be put to the test. I can't help but think what I would add to those promises if I said them all over again today.

I, Keri, take you, Scot, to be my husband.

To this day, out of all the men in the world, I take you. I choose you.

To have and to hold from this day forward.

I want to be one of those couples that I melt over. The ones that are old and gray, but still look at each other with tenderness and refuse to walk alone without holding the hand of their love. I want that for us.

For better or for worse.

I made this promise not knowing what better or worse was going to look like for us. I can honestly say that despite the worse, and there has been some significant worse for us, there is noone I would want to go through that with other than you. You are the better in my life.

For richer and for poorer.

This is the part of the ceremony where everyone chuckles. It helps when you start off poor, things can only get better, right? I am so grateful that the richness of our family is more important to you than monetary richness. You have proven this over and over again. Our family is rich because we have each other.

In sickness and in health.

We have not traveled through significant physical sickness with each other. Something I know we are both so grateful for. I think there have been times when we've been emotionally sick. When our hearts have been broken causing an ache and pain that no bandage or ointment can fix. It hasn't been easy for either of us, but we are still here. That's what matters, we are still here together.

To love and to cherish.

I think back to the moment I uttered those words on that altar and my love for you seems so trite. How much my love has grown through our experiences both good and bad. Through fighting for our marriage when it seemed hopeless at times, I know more today what love truly means than the day I first promised it to you.

Till death do us part.

Except that death won't part us because we each know where we are spending eternity. Not only do we know that, but it matters that we live a life that is worthy of eternity.

Fifteen years ago I stood at the altar and promised you the world having no idea what was in store for us.

Fifteen years later and I would make those promises to you again.

From this day forward......

Halloween Singapore Style

Halloween is the first day we've spent here that held any sort of tradition for us back home. The boys spent every year we lived in our Houston home trick or treating with the same group of neighborhood friends. They went from sweet and adorable firemen and power rangers to not so sweet ninja warriors and creepy people in the six years we were there.

As Halloween approached here in Singapore, it became obvious that costumes went at a premium and enormous bags of candy were extremely difficult to find. Halloween is not a holiday that most Chinese recognize so there's not an abundance of decor and costumes to be found. People were having grandparents ship in costumes or husbands traveling to the states make Party City runs to stock up.

I was extremely thankful for a neighbor that has lived here many years and her knowledge of a costume store nearby where I could attempt to pull something together for the boys. My rule has always been that I don't mind them dressing up and having fun, but they are not allowed to be anything demonic or scary. Garrett finally settled on being a jazz musician.

Nathan went as a hip hop/rap something or another. Honestly, he found a couple blingy necklaces and just made it work for him.....he was waaaayyyyyy too comfortable in his costume.

The school has Halloween parties for the classes and they went all out. Teachers were dressed up, there were costume parades, games, food galore....it was a lot of fun. Many parents even dressed up which is great, but I'm not sure dressing in a full-on catsuit with 4 inch heels, tail, and cat ears is very appropriate for an elementary school party. Meow, meow was in a 1st grade classroom........just in case anyone for a second thought I was talking about myself. Because me dressed in a catsuit with 4 inch heels would have broken my own rules about costumes not being scary. Just sayin'.......

This is Nathan's class and his teacher is the mime in the back. I had the privilege of being in charge of collecting material for the Halloween Mad Lib for the class and reading the final story to them. Let's just say it was very 4th grade appropriate which means it wasn't very appropriate at all, but they loved it.

Saturday night was the party at our condo. I was interested to see what riding an elevator from floor to floor to trick or treat was going to be like. If you were participating, you unlocked the elevator to stop on your floor. Our building has 3 different elevators and 25 floors......let's just say it took some time to get it all done. My friend Tiffany, and her girls, came over to hang out with us. Her husband is currently back in the states eating Mexican food every night....we kinda hate him right now.

Cramming on the elevator after stopping at our floor.......so glad I wasn't the designated parent holding the door open!!

Garrett came up to me at one point and with the saddest look on his face he told me that it just didn't feel the same. This was not what Halloween was supposed to be like. I quickly informed him that we would be trick or treating in a real neighborhood Halloween night and it would feel just like home.

Boy, was I wrong.

Our school is located at the very northern part of the country. You can see Malaysia from there. That part of Singapore is called the Woodlands. It is a good 20-30 minutes from town and has a good size neighborhood next to the school that is heavily ex-pat populated. We looked at a house there and in some ways, it felt just like being in America. Kids riding their bikes, neighbors out socializing and located just blocks away from the school. The houses are all pretty large and cost the same if not less than many apartments in town. We were extremely tempted to live there, but decided that if we had a chance to try out the urban lifestyle, than we ought to take advantage of it while we could.

I had been hearing about Halloween in the Woodlands and how crazy it was, but I'm not sure that I fully comprehended it. It is the ONLY option for neighborhood trick or treating in Singapore that I know of and there aren't any fall festivals or other activities to take the place of trick or treating. My guess is that almost every ex-pat in Singapore, and many locals, were there tonight. It was incredible.

I have a good friend that lives in the Woodlands and she invited me, Tiffany, and Lisa and our kids to come up for dinner before the madness began. Tiffany normally dresses up every single year and her girls were very sad that she didn't this year so she painted on a cat face and looked adorable. Nathan informed me that I looked like a farmer's wife in my denim shirt. Unlike Tiffany, I wasn't trying to be dressed up.....Nathan got 3 boxes of Nerds taken away from him for that comment.

The official start time for trick or treating was 6:00. Seems a little rigid to you? Just wait......

The kids all ready to go.

Nathan's best bud, Matt, showed up at the house right away so off they went.

Garrett found a friends very quickly and went off with them. I got to hang out with all the girls. It started off pretty tame, but within about 30 minutes, it looked like this which is exactly why they don't start until 6 or you'd have people camping out in front of the homes at 4 in the afternoon!

This picture does not even do it justice. There were people EVERYWHERE. Up and down every street, crowding the gates leading to the houses. We assisted 2 lost children in finding their parents along the way.....it was nuts!! I have never seen anything like it. The fun part was running into people you knew from school, church, our apt building. From what I've heard, there's apparently over 2,000 people that go through that neighborhood every Halloween.

The award for best group costume easily went to the jellyfish group. They even had a bubble machine with them to make it seem real. Loved it!

I had been commenting to the girls about the fact that the most common candy I steal from the Halloween buckets are anything Reeses related and how I had seen none since living here. I had no sooner said that than the girls hit Reeses jackpot at a house. It must have been a home with someone that had recently been in the states. Tiffany's daughter, Caroline, does not like peanut butter so she offered up her Reeses to me. I almost wept out of sheer excitement. I ate it right there on the spot and loved every bite of it.

Lisa scored one too.

We were happy, happy girls. Hot, sweaty, and overwhelmed....but very happy!

An hour and a half later and it was time for the bidding wars to begin. The most crucial part of the evening was when trading opened up at the dining room table and pixie sticks were being exchanged for Snickers and Twizzlers exchanged for Laffy Taffy. It was heated at times and definitely fueled by a killer sugar high, but everyone walked away from the table friends.

For a holiday that has never really been my favorite, I have enjoyed the parties and even the craziness of tonight. It felt like a community and community feels like home.

I better start stocking up on Laffy Taffy for next year!!

Here, There, and Everywhere

I am not even sure how to put into words what the last 6 weeks have been like. I have had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling - 2 trips for Scot's job and a trip to Thailand for Fall Break.

Yes, we get Fall Break here.....which is funny because there is absolutely nothing Fall-like about Singapore right now. No pumpkin patches, no decorations anywhere, and weather that continues to be hot and humid every single day. I have seen a few pumpkins here and there at grocery stores with price tags that make your innards turn into pumpkin pie filling. We did splurge on two pumpkins at a cost that made Scot's eyes bug out of his head, but I have been mourning my decision to not bring any of my Fall decorations with me to Singapore so he gave in. But it hurt him. A lot. And he may have peaked into the pumpkin to see if it was filled with gold, but don't tell him I told you that.

These last six weeks have also rocked me to the core. I have asked God many times if He remembers that I am here in Singapore. That maybe I fell off His radar and He forgot where I was.

He quickly asks me the same question.

Do you know that I am here?

Garrett has been struggling since we moved here, but the extent to which he has been struggling was not known to us until 2-3 weeks ago. I was naive in thinking that because he wasn't crying into his pillow every night, he had adjusted to the move. Boy was I wrong. His struggles with adjusting just looked different than I thought they would. We have been working hard with him and I am just so thankful that Scot has been home. When Scot isn't busy hanging the moon, he has been spending loads of time with Garrett......nothing makes Garrett happier. There is absolutely nothing worse in the world than watching your child struggle and not being able to fix it for him.

I am here.

It seemed that I was going to lose my Grandmother this past weekend and realizing that I couldn't get to her, or my family, was so infuriating and frustrating that I didn't know whether to throw something, pull the covers over my head, or just start screaming. It fully hit me how far away we really are. I was devastated.

Keri, I am here.

I have felt so incredibly insecure about the dumbest things and as irritating as it is, I still give in to it. It's the struggle between starting a new life and hanging onto the old one. It's being "de-friended" by someone that wasn't even really a friend and having it rock my world much more than it should. It's meeting new friends and walking away kicking myself for saying something stupid. It's watching my old life go on without me. It's trying to stay connected but knowing I'm not doing a good job.

Helllloooo, I am here.

I honestly don't know how God can tolerate me sometimes. He is here with me. Has never left me. He offers me security and guidance, just like He's done for years. Yet it's still so easy for my world to be rocked.

Life is hard. He knows it's hard. That is why He sent His Son. So we would know what love really means.

I just wish I spent more time focused on Him than I do focused on myself and the things around me that I have no control over. I can't help but think that He probably wishes the same. It just has to be so much easier for Him to do His job when I'm not trying to do it for Him.

My job is to draw closer to Him every day. To make my relationship with Him a priority. To make sure that I live a life that makes Him proud. To be somewhat graceful when I go through times that are difficult. To actually learn a thing or two and appreciate the end result of a refining fire.

He is here.

We are here together, and I really love knowing that.

To prove that I don't take myself too seriously, I am posting a picture that so perfectly depicts how differently Nathan and I can approach some situations. This would be after Nathan actually kissed the top of this snake's head. That boy has no fear.

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm......Part 2

It is amazing to me how quickly that which is odd can become normal. I recently read my first "Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm" post and while I still think it's weird that people carry drinks around in plastic bags, it doesn't jump out at me as much as it once did. For the record, I still have not tried a "squatty potty", but I know there will come a time in my very near future when I won't have an option. I have heard so many horror stories that I'm not looking forward to my first attempt at squatting and aiming!

Without further ado, I give you more interesting or strange observations from life here in Singapore!

1. This country is obsessed with acronyms. The freeways here are the PIE (Pan Island Expressway), ECP (East Coast Parkway), and BTE (Bukit Timah Expressway) just to name a few. The boys go to SAS (Singapore American School), play sports with SACAC (Singapore American Community Action Council), do after school activities with EASA (Elementary After School Activities), and take the bus home to the AC (American Club). I have joined the AWA (American Women's Assoc) which meant an instant membership to AAS (American Assoc of Singapore) and love the time I spend at IBC (International Baptist Church) with the WEM (Women's Enrichment Ministries). There are no fewer than 4 banks here that have gone the acronym route. There's POSB, UOB, OCBC, and DBS. We bank at Citibank, which we have shortened to.....well, The Bank. It's enough to make you want to LOL!!

2. Chilis is the only place we've been to so far that believes in free refills on your drinks. This may go hand in hand with why everyone around here is so small. That and the lack of Whataburger.

3. There's no tipping in Singapore. Typically there's a service charge of approx 10% added to your bill at a restaurant but no additional tipping. If you are feeling generous, you can round up your taxi fare to the nearest dollar as a tip and make a driver's day.

4. I do not think it's my own closed mindedness that keeps me from eating some of the strange stuff we've seen here. Some of it is just not normal.

These would be veggies stuffed with Fish Paste. I'm not sure how it turns out so shiny, but that's not the biggest turnoff for me. I just don't think I can eat anything that is a paste of something that was once alive.

5. Apparently, if you have a loved one that has passed on but is really needing a new pair of shoes in their afterlife....or a pack of cigarettes, you can go to a store to buy these items made out of paper. You set them on fire to send them into the universe, and before you know it, Grandma's got a new pair of Adidas. This store was filled with "designer" purses, liquor bottles, jewelry, and shoes.

I could not make this stuff up if I tried.

Notice the razor in the package at the bottom right? Guess you could share it with Moses on a slow day in heaven. A little makeover fun!

6. If you happened to be watching The Amazing Race when they were in Singapore, you will remember the challenge where they had to sell ice cream sandwiches from an ice cream cart. The boys were so excited to try the ice cream sandwiches because they are literally a slice of ice cream put into a slice of bread. And not that stone ground whole wheat kind of bread.....this bread has pink and green swirls in it!

The best part? They cost $1. In Singapore terms, that's practically giving them away!

7. The Mid-Autumn Festival just ended. It is a celebration of the moon and everywhere you go you see a delicacy called mooncakes. Typical mooncakes are made with lotus seed paste in the middle (which I am pretty sure will make you fail a drug test) with 2 egg yolks from salted duck eggs baked in to represent the moon. They are dense and not the yummiest thing I have ever tasted. They are round and imprinted on the top are a description of what's inside the mooncake along with the name of the bakery. Apparently, back in the day, they were used to distribute messages used to coordinate the Han Chinese revolt. I am convinced they could have actually thrown the mooncakes at people and done some serious bodily harm.

8. It is extremely popular to go eat at Hawker Stalls. It is essentially a large area with many different booths serving all kinds of food. It is very popular because you can eat very cheaply at the hawker stalls. If you have any desire to step out of your comfort zone in the food dept, this is the place to do it. You won't lose a lot of money in the process. In a move that is sheer brilliance by the government, the stalls are given a grade. This grade hangs front and center in the hawker stall to let you know where their standards lie in cleanliness of the workspace and food. Every time I come across a stall with a big 'ol "C" hanging there, I have a hard time making eye contact with the owner. What shame!

I am 100% an "A" kind of girl. Won't be taking any chances at any "B" stalls!

9. Let's address caning for a minute. I get asked frequently about caning.......a system made popular by Micheal Fay, the American teenager (18 yrs old) that spray painted and vandalized a bunch of cars and didn't want to suffer the consequences and so mommy and daddy came to his rescue. Parenting at its best!

I digress.

Recently we had dinner with a family that are native Singaporeans. At this dinner was a boy that is serving his time with the Singaporean military which is required of all boys after graduating from high school. I asked him for details on exactly what caning meant. It is used for offenses that deserve severe consequences, i.e. robbery, rape or destroying property. It is used with men under the age of 50 and is done with a cane that is about 4 feet long and half an inch thick. It is often soaked in water to make it more flexible. You are caned on your naked hiney with a doctor present in case you lose consciousness. The person doing the caning is required to put their full force behind it, so there's typically more than one caner present for when one gets too exhausted. I guarantee this is a bigger deterrent to crime than 3 square meals a day and outdoor playtime. Every person convicted of a crime here gets their name in the paper along with what they did and what their punishment was. They don't mess around with this stuff!

10. Yes, English is the primary language spoken here. With that being said, it is more accurately defined as Singlish because it's English with a Singapore twist. The most common characteristic is the tendency to add "lah" at the end of phrases and sentences. Throw in a good Chinese accent and suddenly you get lots of practice asking for things to be repeated or just nodding like you understand what's being said. There is no telling the things I have agreed to or questions I have answered inappropriately because of a good dose of Singlish.

I must admit that this country is growing on me. There are days that I ache for the familiarity of home, but we are exceedingly grateful for the opportunity to be here.

That being said, we are getting close enough to Christmas at this point, that I can almost smell Chuys from here!!